The Common House

The Common House has a large kitchen, a dining room, lounge areas and a kids’ room. The unfinished basement has table games and a wood shop. Residents pick up their mail at the Common House, making it a natural spot for spontaneous interaction. Residents also have a pigeonhole for non-U.S. mail communication, and a small cubby to store personal items.

There are community meals in the Common House on a regular basis. Community members volunteer to take turns cooking, generally for a few dozen people. The frequency of meals depends on the availability of pairs of cooks - currently, it's about one meal a week (though they have been more frequent in the past) and a cook can expect to put on a meal about four times per year. Attendees are charged a small amount to cover expenses; any leftover money is used for Common House improvements. Participation in meals is completely voluntary - some residents some attend meals regularly, others rarely, and the rest are in between; some attend meals but never cook. Potluck meals happen, too, though not on a regular schedule.

The Common House is used for meetings, where we do the work that makes the community run. It is where we gather for annual celebrations - the New Year's Day Jam, the last-day-of-school ice cream party, a Halloween haunted house, to name a few - and for spur-of-the-moment activities - a potluck during a blizzard, a sing-along to honor Pete Seeger. It has been used for plays, concerts, a wedding, a memorial service. Sometimes a large screen is set up so we can get together to watch a movie, or a playoff game, or election results. Yoga classes take place some mornings. Teens hang out there in the afternoon and do homework. Community members can also reserve the Common House for private events, such a family get-togethers, workplace parties, retreats, meetings and fundraisers.